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OneNote 2016 Convert to Shapes

Does anyone know if the feature 'Convert to Shapes' is coming to OneNote 2016? I can use it on my iPAD Pro and in the Windows version of OneNote, but can not find it in the Office 2016 version?
 
OP
Kevin Cossaboon
Where are you looking? It is in the Modern UI app and I think even in the 2013 version
I am looking in OneNote for Office 2016, I assumed in all the versions that Microsoft has for OneNote it would be OneNote 2016?

This is my current matrix of what works in what version of OneNote. The Drawings to Shapes got added to the 'Modern UI' App (I refer to it as 'Windows') version, but not the Office 2016 version.

OneNote.PNG
 

Plantje

Active Member
I see...hmmm that's too bad. And then convert ink to text is only available in the Office version. Sorry, but that's plain stupid.

This sort of stuff is stuff that Microsoft really should get together! That is the same level as how a lot of tiles are not transparant in Windows 10 Mobile. I would really love for every app to have the option: "use app logo on default tile" or "use app maker invented tile" But that's a different matter :)
 
OP
Kevin Cossaboon
I see...hmmm that's too bad. And then convert ink to text is only available in the Office version. Sorry, but that's plain stupid.

This sort of stuff is stuff that Microsoft really should get together! That is the same level as how a lot of tiles are not transparant in Windows 10 Mobile. I would really love for every app to have the option: "use app logo on default tile" or "use app maker invented tile" But that's a different matter :)

I built the matrix as I have (now) an iPad Pro, and an iPhone, and a SP4 and a Mac. the feature that makes OneNote KING of the world (IMHO) is Ink to Text. I can SEARCH my hand writing. I believe that the Web Version will search images now, but not INK or if it does, it does not put that metadata into the note, so that other platforms can use it. (AKA if it does convert the vectors to text, you can only search on the web).

This drove me (might be the reason they did it) to continue using OneNote for office. The local APP converts the INK Vectors to text in the back ground AND adds the metadata to the NOTE. When I went from the SB to the SP4, I had a month pause waiting for some stability on the SP4 and tested this via a Virtual Machine on my Mac. If I left OneNote for Office running and syncing the notebooks. I could INK with the iPad Pro, and in a reasonable time (sync back and forth) I could search on the iPad and get hits in the INK. Without the VM running (aka OneNote for Office was not processing the note) the INK never became search-able on the iPad.

Now I am back to a Surface for note taking, so that I have searchable notes. What I find amazing is
  • to do INK to Shape, I need to launch another version of OneNote on the Surface or use my iPad Pro....?
  • When I want to insert an camera shot of the whiteboard I need to use OneNote Windows, or use multi step process to get it into OneNote for Office?
  • Even after I do all that, OneNote for windows (Modern) does not correct the trapezoid image like the iPhone can?
So, I sit at a conference with my iPhone to take photos of the slides on the BIG screen in OneNote, to wait to sync to the OneNote for Office so that I can INK notes about the conversation, and if I want to add shapes (like a mind map) I need to flip to Modern App, hope for the Sync, and add that....

Ahhh......

OneNote is truly an amazing App, It would just be cool to use everything in one App, and heck, use it in the only one that you PAY for, the others are FREE and do things that the PAID version does not, except that KILLER feature Ink to Text.....
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
I tend to use the Office version for management and integration (confession - I never convert ink to text as ink is fully searchable) and use the Mobile version to take notes in meetings.
 
OP
Kevin Cossaboon
I tend to use the Office version for management and integration (confession - I never convert ink to text as ink is fully searchable) and use the Mobile version to take notes in meetings.

To be clear, I do not 'convert' the INK to text, the Feature that I refer to as Ink to Text is the feature that make INK searchable, I leave INK as handwriting, but to make it searchable, it needs some quality time with OneNote for Office
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
To be clear, I do not 'convert' the INK to text, the Feature that I refer to as Ink to Text is the feature that make INK searchable, I leave INK as handwriting, but to make it searchable, it needs some quality time with OneNote for Office
Inking in any OneNote Application is automatically searchable in the Desktop Version (Windows since Windows XP Tablet PC Edition treats digital ink as text).
 
OP
Kevin Cossaboon
Inking in any OneNote Application is automatically searchable in the Desktop Version (Windows since Windows XP Tablet PC Edition treats digital ink as text).

I start to write this reply that you were WRONG, as I tested the heck out of this in Jan 2016 and knew it needed Office Ver of OneNote, but to my joy, I re-tested today in April, and the Modern version can search my handwriting, BUT, when it syncs to the WEB version that information is not sent.

Test 1
Ink in Modren (Windows version that is free), and search
1n00.PNG

Results: Worked!!!! This was new for me.

Test 2,
View this page in OneNote Online (Web) and search same Document
1n01.PNG

1n02.PNG
Results: Page can not be searched. Ink is not searchable

Test 3,
Open in the OneNote Online (Web) a document that was INK'd in OneNote for Office
1n03.PNG

Results: Ink that was written in OneNote for Office can be searched with OneNote Online (web).

Test 4.
Open the page from Test 1 in OneNote for Office, and let SYNC, then reopen in OneNote Online (Web)​

1n04.PNG
Results: Once the page was ingested by OneNote for Office it becomes searchable.

Conclusions

The Free Windows (Modern) can (now?) search it's pages for text within the INK, but does not share that with the other platforms the way that OneNote for Office does. For a user that wish to search notes that are handwritten on Apple devices, or Web, they must have the Page pass through OneNote for Office, based on my testing.
 
OP
Kevin Cossaboon
That is what I said - it requires that OneNote Office version open and index the note....
My apologies, I was amazed with the free version actually able to search at all, I got mixed up on which version you referred to.

I would net it out, that the OneNote you pay for, should actually have all the features... IMHO.
 
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